Tiny Bubble? I'm Here, Big Bubble - A July 2025 TR *Updated 10/5
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piglet1979
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I am like this with driving through Jacksonville. I drove on our first drive down and told my husband I will never drive that again.
StarWarsMomofGirls!
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I'm here! I too have been spotty on here but trying to get back to reading everyone's trips! We are hoping to go to Universal for the spring break this year so can't wait to hear all about your days there!
Dis_Yoda
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Having driven across the state of Texas - I feel you. My next two Disney trips involve driving from the Houston area so I know those roads well. I prefer to fly but sometimes other things are involved that mean we gotta do the drive.
Nice way of breaking it all up!
Nice way of breaking it all up!
amazingact21
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I asked Alex once which was worse, driving in Dallas or driving a minibus in London, and he answered Dallas.
As a parent, I hope my kids come visit and raid my fridge when they're older. I do laugh, though, looking back on that visit to my parent's, we really did say our hellos, and then I waltzed right into the kitchen and began preparing food.
Following! Evie and Andi could ride monsters unchained together over and over, hahaWe loved it and all of Epic was really great. I think Andi wants to go back this winter on a trip with me if we include USO/Epic, yay
I’m glad your ride wasn’t to bad and really nice you had the extra day!
I see a lot of similar interests with Andi and Evie! Which makes me a little scared about how go-go-go she might be when she's older.
I'm not sure I can handle the park days that Andi does!I hope you can manage to work in USO so you get a bonus trip with her in December!
amazingact21
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We have to travel again in November, and I insisted we fly this time. I don't think I have the patience for another road trip this year.
I agree. And I imagine as a parent, we enjoy it happening.
Following
Thanks for joining along!
amazingact21
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Oh, I get where he's coming from, but history has shown he doesn't read much on theme park trips. My mom was a librarian and I minored in English, so we are all a house of readers. But he's bad about bringing ones he won't use. Plus, with his ADHD he's liable to forget them in a hotel, and we're terrified of having to pay a library fee for a lost book.
(Thankfully, this year since his bus ride home is 50 minutes, he's been trying audiobooks so that helps with space and keeping the item procured.)We heard someone joke that the planners of Dallas highways just threw spaghetti at the wall and used that as their building models. It's not far off.
Exactly! It's the circle of life.
(I definitely did laundry that evening, too. Just so we didn't have to dig more clothes out of our suitcases.)
It can be such a nightmare!
Thanks for hopping along on this report. I hope you can make it to Epic. It has a lot of detail and the food is such a step up from typical Universal fare.
amazingact21
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Every time we make that road trip, we say we aren't ever going to do it again, but alas. We did it 3 times in a 12 month stretch!
Anything to help be able to afford those Disney trips, I guess. If I had to make this trip by myself, I think I would add an extra 2 hours to my trip just to avoid going through Dallas. And, yeah, I-95 through Jacksonville is rough, too!
amazingact21
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I can only imagine how crazy your life is right now with a senior! I'm sure this year will be a blur.
Houston is just as bad! Why are all these Texas cities so chaotic to drive in?! I understand what you mean about driving being unavoidable, sometimes, though. Hope both travel days go smoothly for you, and you can make it to the other side of the city mostly unscathed.
StarWarsMomofGirls!
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Applying to colleges is no joke!!! So stressfull! And Morgan needs a portfolio so it just adds to the stress.
amazingact21
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Is this because she's applying to schools for art/animation? Or is that the new standard now? I'm trying to wrap my head around these new standards. Landon's taking double advanced maths this year so he can take Algebra next year and go ahead and get that credit knocked out before high school, and when his counselor was explaining that to me I had this realization that I'm on the cusp of a whole new world.
Add in moving schools every few years, and I feel like I need to be more informed than I currently am.Love your TR's! Definitely in for this one! The drive does not sound like fun but hey you made it to Disney
Thanks for joining along on this latest report! I'm determined not to abandon it like my last one.
amazingact21
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July 13th:
Our room at Stella Nova was ready as soon as we checked in. Alex requested a high floor, and we were granted the very top. (Floor 10.)
Time to see our temporary home!
The entire resort felt very clean and new. Since it had recently opened, there weren’t any signs of wear and tear, and all the specs were modern and efficient. So while it is very much a value hotel, it was a higher quality than one of the All Stars or Cabana Bay.
The room itself was small, but the high ceilings gave the illusion that it was larger than it actually was.
It had a couch on the opposite wall of the beds with a table, which created extra seating space and also a spot to hold backpacks. The closets in the room were big enough to store our 2 large suitcases, and there was an actual fridge in the cabinet! None of this beverage cooler nonsense.
The bathroom area was a little snug with only one sink, but it was well lit so that was a perk. We did have an awkward moment where the kids noticed the see-through glass partition put in place between the bed and bathroom.
“Mom!!! If you leave this curtain open and the bathroom door isn’t closed, you can see right into the shower!”
“What if one of us wants to step around the corner to change? We have to make sure that thing is closed!”
Ahem.
Thanks, Universal. Nice perk for a couple’s retreat, mortification material for preteen kids.
I didn’t even mean to capture Evie’s disbelief until I looked back on my camera roll and found this:
What also helped with the room size was the massive window:
It let in a lot of light, and it provided us with a fantastic view of Helios and Epic Universe!
Our first glimpse into the new theme park. We could see most everything from our vantage point, and at night we were able to see the burning windmill. If we peered really hard to our left, we could also catch snippets of the nighttime drone show at Universal.
I spent some time unpacking our belongings and organizing everything we were going to need for the next few days. The second I pushed the soft-close drawer, signaling to everyone I was finished, the kids were rushing to the door. They were ready to get to a park!
With the Universal military tickets, they have to be activated in person at a ticket window, and Alex and I wanted to knock that out this evening. Not only so we could gain entry but also to prevent us having to worry about it on another morning.
The four of took a bus to Citywalk (it took about 25 minutes) and went through security. We were flying down the moving walkways. You can always spot who is at the beginning of their vacation versus who is at the end by their walking speed. No fatigue had hit us yet!
When we got near the ticketing area of the parks, I spotted a sign we needed.
There was an important question we had answer before going into the parks.
Was Evie tall enough to ride Velocicoaster?
She was! By a lot, too. So much that nobody measured her at the entrance.
*gulp*
Evie decided right before she left that if she could do it, she wanted to try the coaster. Alex wanted her to test it before going into Epic, because he figured how she handled Velocicoaster would determine if she tried Stardust Racers or not.
Alex got the tickets sorted while the kids and I hung out and tried not to sweat too much in the Florida heat.
I also reminded Evie that if, at any point, she wanted to bail on the coaster, she could.
“Even if we make it to the loading dock, you can pass it up and walk straight through the chairs to the exit. Nobody will get mad.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I’m just saying, it’s a really intense ride. I know you love Dinosaurs now, and all, but there are a lot of inversions.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I didn’t go on an upside down coaster until I was 13. Dad was 14. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Mom!”
“Okay, okay!”
With our tickets ready to use, you can guess where we were headed.
The wait for Velocicoaster was about 45 minutes, but the kids both insisted they wanted to wait for it.
This was the first time the kids had been in the queue since watching the films, and they got a kick out of all the Easter eggs in the rooms. The raptor animatronics were a huge hit with Evie. She knew exactly which ones were which, and Landon appreciated the video with Owen and Claire a lot more now.
It was by said video that Evie snapped at me: “It’s like you’re TRYING to get me to not ride the ride, Mom.”
Fair enough. I had to bite my tongue and let my kid make the decision on her own. Which meant putting the memory of her on Rock N Roller Coaster out of my head. You know, the one where she came off the vehicle bawling her eyes out and then writing about how scary it was in English class later that year.
But that was 2 years in the past and goodness knows a kid changes a lot in that stretch of time. I had to let it be.
The verdict?
She loved it. Landon got off, going, “I always forget how intense that ride is.”
Me too, bud. Me too.
I got off feeling every year of my age. I was battling some intense vertigo upon exiting the ride, and I thought to myself, “This is it. The year I have to stop doing coasters.”
Fortunately, as it turns out, I was overcoming some mild cold that I wasn’t aware of, and that was what was causing all my dizziness and allergy issues. How did I discover this? Through observation and knowledge of my body? Yeah, right…
The answer came days later. I’ll reveal that nugget of realization later on in the report.
For the moment, I was being led around by my son, whose newly acquired height was an asset. He let me lean my arm on his shoulder while I wallowed in self pity and listened to my youngest gloat over how “NOT SCARED AT ALL” she was.
I needed a Butterbeer.
Fortunately, Hogsmeade was close by, so we headed to the Three Broomsticks for dinner. On top of feeling dizzy, I was also getting a little antsy about the time. I really wanted us to be back in the room by 8 o’clock so we could get a long, solid night of sleep before our next big day, but I was realizing that goal was slipping away.
Time just flies by so fast in a theme park. You blink and an hour’s gone. Blink again and it’s well into dinnertime.
And was I understanding about this setback? Of course not. I was not my best self. Made worse by the cost to value ratio of our dinner.
I like Universal.
I dislike their food.
Except for at Epic. They are exempt from this rant.
Almost 9 dollars for a Butterbeer is really, really steep. And my dinner of two Cornish pasties, less than a dozen carrots and potato bites for 18 dollars after tax? Where I left still very hungry? Unacceptable.
Alex and I guessed that because it was getting close to the end of the night, the kitchen was trying to stretch their vegetables so they didn’t have to make more. While I understand that from a cost saving perspective, it does nothing for guest satisfaction.
Needless to say, between my mental schedule not going according to plan and my hunger and my unknown cold, I was grouchy. It was time to head out.
Hah!
That was a nice thought.
Would’ve worked, too, if my family wasn’t made up of Alex and Evie. Those two were desperate to step into their first store of the trip and check out all the merch.
First up was the How to Train Your Dragon pop up shop, where Evie asked if any of the Toothless shoulder plushes were available. She was told they were sold out park-wide since Memorial Day. (Nobody ever got them in stock.)
Then it was on to the main store near the exit.
Evie and Alex needed to know what was on offer in the original parks before they got to Epic. So they could plan their souvenir budget accordingly.
Eventually, the four of us made it back to the buses and returned to our room.
Time to tuck ourselves in and rest up!
(I thought all our glasses lined up for the night was cute.)
Up Next: Aren’t You Glad You Brought Your Uncle Along?
Our room at Stella Nova was ready as soon as we checked in. Alex requested a high floor, and we were granted the very top. (Floor 10.)
Time to see our temporary home!
The entire resort felt very clean and new. Since it had recently opened, there weren’t any signs of wear and tear, and all the specs were modern and efficient. So while it is very much a value hotel, it was a higher quality than one of the All Stars or Cabana Bay.
The room itself was small, but the high ceilings gave the illusion that it was larger than it actually was.
It had a couch on the opposite wall of the beds with a table, which created extra seating space and also a spot to hold backpacks. The closets in the room were big enough to store our 2 large suitcases, and there was an actual fridge in the cabinet! None of this beverage cooler nonsense.
The bathroom area was a little snug with only one sink, but it was well lit so that was a perk. We did have an awkward moment where the kids noticed the see-through glass partition put in place between the bed and bathroom.
“Mom!!! If you leave this curtain open and the bathroom door isn’t closed, you can see right into the shower!”
“What if one of us wants to step around the corner to change? We have to make sure that thing is closed!”
Ahem.Thanks, Universal. Nice perk for a couple’s retreat, mortification material for preteen kids.
I didn’t even mean to capture Evie’s disbelief until I looked back on my camera roll and found this:
What also helped with the room size was the massive window:
It let in a lot of light, and it provided us with a fantastic view of Helios and Epic Universe!
Our first glimpse into the new theme park. We could see most everything from our vantage point, and at night we were able to see the burning windmill. If we peered really hard to our left, we could also catch snippets of the nighttime drone show at Universal.
I spent some time unpacking our belongings and organizing everything we were going to need for the next few days. The second I pushed the soft-close drawer, signaling to everyone I was finished, the kids were rushing to the door. They were ready to get to a park!
With the Universal military tickets, they have to be activated in person at a ticket window, and Alex and I wanted to knock that out this evening. Not only so we could gain entry but also to prevent us having to worry about it on another morning.
The four of took a bus to Citywalk (it took about 25 minutes) and went through security. We were flying down the moving walkways. You can always spot who is at the beginning of their vacation versus who is at the end by their walking speed. No fatigue had hit us yet!
When we got near the ticketing area of the parks, I spotted a sign we needed.
There was an important question we had answer before going into the parks.
Was Evie tall enough to ride Velocicoaster?
She was! By a lot, too. So much that nobody measured her at the entrance.
*gulp*
Evie decided right before she left that if she could do it, she wanted to try the coaster. Alex wanted her to test it before going into Epic, because he figured how she handled Velocicoaster would determine if she tried Stardust Racers or not.
Alex got the tickets sorted while the kids and I hung out and tried not to sweat too much in the Florida heat.
I also reminded Evie that if, at any point, she wanted to bail on the coaster, she could.
“Even if we make it to the loading dock, you can pass it up and walk straight through the chairs to the exit. Nobody will get mad.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I’m just saying, it’s a really intense ride. I know you love Dinosaurs now, and all, but there are a lot of inversions.”
“I know, Mom.”
“I didn’t go on an upside down coaster until I was 13. Dad was 14. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Mom!”
“Okay, okay!”
With our tickets ready to use, you can guess where we were headed.
The wait for Velocicoaster was about 45 minutes, but the kids both insisted they wanted to wait for it.
This was the first time the kids had been in the queue since watching the films, and they got a kick out of all the Easter eggs in the rooms. The raptor animatronics were a huge hit with Evie. She knew exactly which ones were which, and Landon appreciated the video with Owen and Claire a lot more now.
It was by said video that Evie snapped at me: “It’s like you’re TRYING to get me to not ride the ride, Mom.”
Fair enough. I had to bite my tongue and let my kid make the decision on her own. Which meant putting the memory of her on Rock N Roller Coaster out of my head. You know, the one where she came off the vehicle bawling her eyes out and then writing about how scary it was in English class later that year.
But that was 2 years in the past and goodness knows a kid changes a lot in that stretch of time. I had to let it be.
The verdict?
She loved it. Landon got off, going, “I always forget how intense that ride is.”
Me too, bud. Me too.
I got off feeling every year of my age. I was battling some intense vertigo upon exiting the ride, and I thought to myself, “This is it. The year I have to stop doing coasters.”
Fortunately, as it turns out, I was overcoming some mild cold that I wasn’t aware of, and that was what was causing all my dizziness and allergy issues. How did I discover this? Through observation and knowledge of my body? Yeah, right…
The answer came days later. I’ll reveal that nugget of realization later on in the report.
For the moment, I was being led around by my son, whose newly acquired height was an asset. He let me lean my arm on his shoulder while I wallowed in self pity and listened to my youngest gloat over how “NOT SCARED AT ALL” she was.
I needed a Butterbeer.
Fortunately, Hogsmeade was close by, so we headed to the Three Broomsticks for dinner. On top of feeling dizzy, I was also getting a little antsy about the time. I really wanted us to be back in the room by 8 o’clock so we could get a long, solid night of sleep before our next big day, but I was realizing that goal was slipping away.
Time just flies by so fast in a theme park. You blink and an hour’s gone. Blink again and it’s well into dinnertime.
And was I understanding about this setback? Of course not. I was not my best self. Made worse by the cost to value ratio of our dinner.
I like Universal.
I dislike their food.
Except for at Epic. They are exempt from this rant.
Almost 9 dollars for a Butterbeer is really, really steep. And my dinner of two Cornish pasties, less than a dozen carrots and potato bites for 18 dollars after tax? Where I left still very hungry? Unacceptable.
Alex and I guessed that because it was getting close to the end of the night, the kitchen was trying to stretch their vegetables so they didn’t have to make more. While I understand that from a cost saving perspective, it does nothing for guest satisfaction.
Needless to say, between my mental schedule not going according to plan and my hunger and my unknown cold, I was grouchy. It was time to head out.
Hah!
That was a nice thought.
Would’ve worked, too, if my family wasn’t made up of Alex and Evie. Those two were desperate to step into their first store of the trip and check out all the merch.
First up was the How to Train Your Dragon pop up shop, where Evie asked if any of the Toothless shoulder plushes were available. She was told they were sold out park-wide since Memorial Day. (Nobody ever got them in stock.)
Then it was on to the main store near the exit.
Evie and Alex needed to know what was on offer in the original parks before they got to Epic. So they could plan their souvenir budget accordingly.
Eventually, the four of us made it back to the buses and returned to our room.
Time to tuck ourselves in and rest up!
(I thought all our glasses lined up for the night was cute.)
Up Next: Aren’t You Glad You Brought Your Uncle Along?
Dis_Yoda
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Such a long day considered you didn't know yet that you were sick. Our recent trip to Provence - my husband was sick for half of it with a head cold and I got it at the very end. It just drains you so much while you are trying to be chipper and happy for everyone else. Well - as best as you can be.
Stella Nova seems nice other than the bathroom situation. Although it can be fun to try to embarrass the pre-teens. Glad the coaster was a hit!
Stella Nova seems nice other than the bathroom situation. Although it can be fun to try to embarrass the pre-teens. Glad the coaster was a hit!
disneyAndi14
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Andi and I are going to stay at Stella Nova this winter, Helios is so nice with the park right there but it does cost way more and we did stay once.
I will ask for a higher floor!
We plan to walk to Epic, did you walk to Epic?
My fear of rollercoasters kept Andi off until she was like 11, it was very low crowds at WDW and she wanted to try, I was nervous since I wouldn’t be riding with her but she loved Everest and RnRc, riding both at least 10x in a row! Haha
I will ask for a higher floor!
We plan to walk to Epic, did you walk to Epic?
My fear of rollercoasters kept Andi off until she was like 11, it was very low crowds at WDW and she wanted to try, I was nervous since I wouldn’t be riding with her but she loved Everest and RnRc, riding both at least 10x in a row! Haha
luvpoohandcompany
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Evie’s wee face says it all!Love it. Makes the place bright and airy.
Fab view. I can sense Evie’s excitement from the photo. I don’t know why I can never quote photos but you know the one I mean
Ain’t that the truth!
So glad the first ride of the trip was a successful one for the kiddos. Sorry you felt the effects of your cold. Glad it wasn’t an age thing so at least your rollercoaster riding future is not at risk just yet.
Those are crazy prices and small portions which really wouldn’t work for me either
Very cute. You all have similar taste in glasses
amazingact21
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Precisely. You don't want to be the person who brings the mood of the group down, but you feel like death.
That's understandable. Stella is great for a cost-saving place to stay for Epic.
We did. The walk isn't bad at all. Evie and Landon managed it to and from both times. I describe it in the next update I'm going to post.
It makes all the difference in a small room.
I always tell myself I'm going to stay energized throughout the vacation, but by the end I'm beat!
Poor Evie inherited my square head and Landon has to get lenses big enough for bifocals.
suse66
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It looks like a great room! Will Evie and Landon still sleep i one bed or do you bring along an air mattress for one kid?
Love the big windows and great view!
She is looking pretty proud of herself and ready to conquer anything.
Cute pic! Evie looks excited!
Aww Landon! Sorry you were starting to feel unwell. That sucks. Glad Evie loved her first really big coaster!For the moment, I was being led around by my son, whose newly acquired height was an asset. He let me lean my arm on his shoulder while I wallowed in self pity and listened to my youngest gloat over how “NOT SCARED AT ALL” she was.
That's ridiculous! I would be very annoyed too. Hungry Susan is not a happy Susan.
amazingact21
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Since Stella Nova was only for a few nights, Evie dealt with sharing a bed. She tried sleeping on the couch but gave up after half a night. One of the biggest reasons we picked All Star Music family suite was so that they each could have their own bed. The 5th sleepers are essential now that they are older.
I'm glad both kids share their dad's love of coasters. Gives them something to bond over.
amazingact21
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July 14th Part 1:
The day was here! It was time to check out a brand new theme park!
Back in March, our cousin was in Florida visiting my BIL and SIL, and they took her to Disney for the day. She’s a massive Star Wars fan and called the kids to ask what she should do in Galaxy’s Edge, and then she called while there to let them share in her excitement.
On the phone, she mentioned several times how she was able to visit Epcot the year it opened, and how that memory still holds a special place in her heart.
Well, the kids latched on to that and used it to their advantage. From that moment on, they had their hooks dug into a rock-solid argument on why visiting Epic opening year would be beneficial…
The way Landon and Evie presented their case, using our cousin’s own words against us, Alex and I knew we’d lost a race we hadn’t realized we’d entered. Their logic was too sound to refute.
-We’re old enough to remember the experience.
-We’re big enough to ride everything.
-If Cousin Chrissy remembers Epcot 43 years later, then of course we’ll remember Epic!
-Evie might not be as interested in dragons as she is now.
-Landon’s on the verge of being too busy in the summer to care about theme parks.
Needless to say, Alex and I worked our magic and got us all tickets to Epic Universe. Throughout the day, our favorite saying became: “Thanks, Cousin Chrissy.” If it wasn’t for her and the pixie dust that occurs in a Disney theme park, this trip would never have happened.
During the summer, Epic did not open until 10:00 o’clock, which meant 9:00 for resort guests. This was baffling to all of us. Such a late start for a theme park, especially in the middle of summer when the temperature starts to rise early in the day.
However, it did allow us plenty of time to go to the Cosmic Café in Stella Nova and grab breakfast. We got there right before they opened at 7 and grabbed one of the tables with a circular bench.
The biggest downside to Stella Nova is that there are very few places to sit and lounge around. Your options are narrowed down to the food court and the pool area. The pool is massive at Stella, with hundreds of chairs, but being July, it was usually too warm and unshaded to enjoy that seating.
So the circular tables at Stella became our go-to spot.
Unfortunately, a lot of people had the same thought process as us and they filled quickly at breakfast. It was smart of us to get there right at opening.
On this morning, we all ordered individual meals (well, I ordered a side of eggs and a side of oatmeal) and once we got our food, we realized it was way too much for four people.
Feast or famine at Universal!
Alex got the biscuits and gravy, and we both agreed it was the best dish on the breakfast menu.
There was no way the kids were going to be able to eat all their food, so we grabbed a to-go box and stowed away the leftovers. This worked out in our favor, because our BIL and SIL ate the rest as their breakfast.
At 8:30, the four of us set off for the park. The walk was very easy to navigate and not bad in the morning when your feet are fresh. We followed the sidewalk past the parking lot, down to the intersection, and waited at the crosswalk for the signal to reach the other side. Once there, all we had to do was pass the bus loading area, and we’d made it to the entrance.
No more than a 15 minute walk with slow movers.
Definitely worth staying at Stella Nova if Epic is the priority on a trip.
Eddie and Leslie, Alex’s brother and sister, met us here by the buses. They had no issue parking and using their APs to gain entry into the lot. Leslie bought both kids one of Universal’s water bottle holders, the ones that have a strap to sling over your shoulder, and this proved invaluable for them. It kept their drinks portable and within reach, so they ended up drinking more than had it been in a bag.
Plus! Mom and Dad didn’t have to tote the waters! I love hitting these milestones with the kids.
I would say if you’re on the fence about getting one of these holders, go ahead and make the commitment. Especially at Universal, where freestyle machines are everywhere and you don’t have to worry about your next fill up.
With everyone together, we made our way to security.
This area was a bit of a cluster, and I’m not sure why Universal designed it the way they did. The ticket kiosks are less than ten feet after the metal detectors, so what ended up happening was guests got backed up at the ticketing point, causing a disjointed mass of people hovering around the security guards.
I shared a moment of whoa with one of said guards, who told me point blank: “Whoever set this up must hate us.”
People were bumping into one another trying to put their bags back on, ankles were getting bitten by strollers, and with that mass of bodies crammed in close, the fans attached to canopies were doing a dismal job at keeping things cool.
Once we all stumbled out of that area, wide eyed and gulping in fresh air, we agreed that was a weak point of the park.
Then, we shook it off.
Because right in front of us was the entrance!
Visiting about 7 weeks after opening provided such a unique experience in the fact that everyone else that was there was just as excited as us. The sidewalks were filled with guests pointing and marveling at every little detail, and everyone was being courteous, letting each family have their turn taking photos.
It was a collective experience with strangers, and I think that’s what made it so special.
Thanks, Cousin Chrissy.
Aside from the obvious reason for picking Stella Nova (the proximity) Alex and I wanted to stay at a Universal resort so that we had access to early morning hours. We figured it would be advantageous at a new park to get as much time as possible out of our day.
However, once my BIL and SIL decided to join us, our plans had to shift a little. They’re locals and didn’t get access to the rides like we did. And a big part of this day was experiencing the new attractions together.
So in the months leading up to the trip, Leslie and I talked best strategies and decided that our best course of action was to go and wait for the Isle of Berk to open. Most everything is outdoors in Berk, and we figured it would be better to hit those must-do’s before the heat of the day. Then pick an indoor queue when the sun was at its peak or an afternoon shower rolled through.
Let me tell you now.
Alex was NOT happy about this plan. He understood it. He accepted it. But it killed him a tiny bit to miss out on that hour.
So much so that when we got to the Berk portal, he stood off to the side for a little while. Both Eddie and Leslie asked me if he was all right, and I had to just say, “He’s fine, he just needs a minute to himself.”
So while the others ate our breakfast scraps, Landon wrote trip notes on our old phone that we let him use for music and books, I took Evie up to the portal for the first of many entry photos:
The Team Members kept the area directly in front of the portal clear for guests to come up and take photos, which I thought was nice. It gave everyone a chance to take in the amazing details of the portal. Evie explained to me what each symbol along the side meant, and we watched the Toothless dragon fly around the red globe.
Right at 10, the Team Members opened the portal and let us through. Speaking with other people while we waited, a lot of them were parents who had split up with their spouses. One took the older kids to wait for Ministry, the other was around us with the younger kids, heading to the Toothless Meet and Greet.
In fact, the majority of our Epic compatriots were going to have their photo taken with the coolest dragon around.
Which worked well for us.
We were headed straight to Hiccup’s Wing Gliders!
The line moved quick and my group didn’t stop until we reached the locker area:
I love the lockers at Epic! They’re like the ones at Tron, with doors on each side, and they use facial recognition instead of tickets. But the best thing about them is that they are larger than the ones at Universal! I could easily fit a Loungefly bag plus a water and umbrella and the kids’ detritus inside one.
Thank you, Universal, for improving on the system!
Bags stowed away, the six of us were in the loading area of the ride.
Look at how cute this ride example is:
Once it was our turn to get into the vehicle, my BIL had a bit of trouble. As you could see from the earlier photo, he cannot do a lot of the coasters at the Universal parks. But before we’d gotten far into the queue, he had tried out the test seat and it worked.
(Speaking of, the test chair was located on the opposite side of the standby queue after you already enter the line. It was chaotic for him to try to jump back in line and for us to squeeze to the side and wait. Not the most logical place to put it, in my opinion.)
The Team Members tried to get it to work, but after a few attempts, told him and my SIL to go wait by the exit area and they would put them in a different section of the vehicle. Apparently, the middle and back are more accommodating than the rest. Then, they turned to the rest of us and told us to meet back up with them after we got off and we could ride again.
Uhm, what?! Okay!
Wing Gliders was such a fun coaster. It was a lower thrill than Hagrid’s but very similar in terms of launches and animatronics to further the story.
Alex said the best part about it was the fact that it goes around most of the Isle of Berk, so you get a great view of the entirety of the area. Later, I added that it’s a different experience at nighttime.
That earns a lot of points in my book for how well a ride is, that it can have two different feels depending on when you ride.
Hands down, Hiccups is my favorite attraction at Epic Universe.
Made all the more special by the fact that we got to do it two times in a row! When Eddie was seated in a different row, the bar clicked with zero issue at all, so I guess it really does depend on your placed on whether or not the seat is accommodating.
After our second turn, we had to get a Team Member to open Alex’s locker, because he had gone back and put his hat in right before reentering the line, and that canceled the reservation. He’s lucky the locker didn’t open for someone else!
It was while we were waiting for him that Eddie proclaimed, “Aren’t you glad you brought your uncle to Epic!”
Oddly enough, this was not the first time we got super lucky with this group. The very first time Alex and I went to Universal together, Eddie and Leslie came with us, and the kids were 3 years old and 6 months old. And because it was a slow period for the parks, whenever we went on a ride that needed a Parent Swap, the Team Members just let us use the express lane. When we did that on the Mummy, the Team Members were so relaxed, they told us we could swap out as many times as we wanted! (We ended up riding it 3 times!)
So something about all of us at Universal equates to some extra luck.
The kids wanted to step inside and get some air conditioning after back to back rides outside, so we meandered over to the gift shops and let Evie take the first of many perusals around the store.
Then we walked over to the theater to wait for the 11 o’clock showing of the Untrainable Dragon, but the Team Members out front said there was a small delay.
I used the time to let Evie change into her Viking costume and take some photos around the land. The outfit was from two Halloweens ago and a little small, but no way was Evie not taking the opportunity to live her best Viking life inside Berk.
The detailing throughout the whole land was incredible.
Hands down, the portal that got the most TLC and their flagship part of the park:
When Evie and I made it back to the group, we heard someone radio the Team Members and say that they would be able to open soon, so we stuck around and waited.
Up Next: Are You A Viking in Training?
The day was here! It was time to check out a brand new theme park!
Back in March, our cousin was in Florida visiting my BIL and SIL, and they took her to Disney for the day. She’s a massive Star Wars fan and called the kids to ask what she should do in Galaxy’s Edge, and then she called while there to let them share in her excitement.
On the phone, she mentioned several times how she was able to visit Epcot the year it opened, and how that memory still holds a special place in her heart.
Well, the kids latched on to that and used it to their advantage. From that moment on, they had their hooks dug into a rock-solid argument on why visiting Epic opening year would be beneficial…
The way Landon and Evie presented their case, using our cousin’s own words against us, Alex and I knew we’d lost a race we hadn’t realized we’d entered. Their logic was too sound to refute.
-We’re old enough to remember the experience.
-We’re big enough to ride everything.
-If Cousin Chrissy remembers Epcot 43 years later, then of course we’ll remember Epic!
-Evie might not be as interested in dragons as she is now.
-Landon’s on the verge of being too busy in the summer to care about theme parks.
Needless to say, Alex and I worked our magic and got us all tickets to Epic Universe. Throughout the day, our favorite saying became: “Thanks, Cousin Chrissy.” If it wasn’t for her and the pixie dust that occurs in a Disney theme park, this trip would never have happened.
During the summer, Epic did not open until 10:00 o’clock, which meant 9:00 for resort guests. This was baffling to all of us. Such a late start for a theme park, especially in the middle of summer when the temperature starts to rise early in the day.
However, it did allow us plenty of time to go to the Cosmic Café in Stella Nova and grab breakfast. We got there right before they opened at 7 and grabbed one of the tables with a circular bench.
The biggest downside to Stella Nova is that there are very few places to sit and lounge around. Your options are narrowed down to the food court and the pool area. The pool is massive at Stella, with hundreds of chairs, but being July, it was usually too warm and unshaded to enjoy that seating.
So the circular tables at Stella became our go-to spot.
Unfortunately, a lot of people had the same thought process as us and they filled quickly at breakfast. It was smart of us to get there right at opening.
On this morning, we all ordered individual meals (well, I ordered a side of eggs and a side of oatmeal) and once we got our food, we realized it was way too much for four people.
Feast or famine at Universal!
Alex got the biscuits and gravy, and we both agreed it was the best dish on the breakfast menu.
There was no way the kids were going to be able to eat all their food, so we grabbed a to-go box and stowed away the leftovers. This worked out in our favor, because our BIL and SIL ate the rest as their breakfast.
At 8:30, the four of us set off for the park. The walk was very easy to navigate and not bad in the morning when your feet are fresh. We followed the sidewalk past the parking lot, down to the intersection, and waited at the crosswalk for the signal to reach the other side. Once there, all we had to do was pass the bus loading area, and we’d made it to the entrance.
No more than a 15 minute walk with slow movers.
Definitely worth staying at Stella Nova if Epic is the priority on a trip.
Eddie and Leslie, Alex’s brother and sister, met us here by the buses. They had no issue parking and using their APs to gain entry into the lot. Leslie bought both kids one of Universal’s water bottle holders, the ones that have a strap to sling over your shoulder, and this proved invaluable for them. It kept their drinks portable and within reach, so they ended up drinking more than had it been in a bag.
Plus! Mom and Dad didn’t have to tote the waters! I love hitting these milestones with the kids.
I would say if you’re on the fence about getting one of these holders, go ahead and make the commitment. Especially at Universal, where freestyle machines are everywhere and you don’t have to worry about your next fill up.
With everyone together, we made our way to security.
This area was a bit of a cluster, and I’m not sure why Universal designed it the way they did. The ticket kiosks are less than ten feet after the metal detectors, so what ended up happening was guests got backed up at the ticketing point, causing a disjointed mass of people hovering around the security guards.
I shared a moment of whoa with one of said guards, who told me point blank: “Whoever set this up must hate us.”
People were bumping into one another trying to put their bags back on, ankles were getting bitten by strollers, and with that mass of bodies crammed in close, the fans attached to canopies were doing a dismal job at keeping things cool.
Once we all stumbled out of that area, wide eyed and gulping in fresh air, we agreed that was a weak point of the park.
Then, we shook it off.
Because right in front of us was the entrance!
Visiting about 7 weeks after opening provided such a unique experience in the fact that everyone else that was there was just as excited as us. The sidewalks were filled with guests pointing and marveling at every little detail, and everyone was being courteous, letting each family have their turn taking photos.
It was a collective experience with strangers, and I think that’s what made it so special.
Thanks, Cousin Chrissy.
Aside from the obvious reason for picking Stella Nova (the proximity) Alex and I wanted to stay at a Universal resort so that we had access to early morning hours. We figured it would be advantageous at a new park to get as much time as possible out of our day.
However, once my BIL and SIL decided to join us, our plans had to shift a little. They’re locals and didn’t get access to the rides like we did. And a big part of this day was experiencing the new attractions together.
So in the months leading up to the trip, Leslie and I talked best strategies and decided that our best course of action was to go and wait for the Isle of Berk to open. Most everything is outdoors in Berk, and we figured it would be better to hit those must-do’s before the heat of the day. Then pick an indoor queue when the sun was at its peak or an afternoon shower rolled through.
Let me tell you now.
Alex was NOT happy about this plan. He understood it. He accepted it. But it killed him a tiny bit to miss out on that hour.
So much so that when we got to the Berk portal, he stood off to the side for a little while. Both Eddie and Leslie asked me if he was all right, and I had to just say, “He’s fine, he just needs a minute to himself.”
So while the others ate our breakfast scraps, Landon wrote trip notes on our old phone that we let him use for music and books, I took Evie up to the portal for the first of many entry photos:
The Team Members kept the area directly in front of the portal clear for guests to come up and take photos, which I thought was nice. It gave everyone a chance to take in the amazing details of the portal. Evie explained to me what each symbol along the side meant, and we watched the Toothless dragon fly around the red globe.
Right at 10, the Team Members opened the portal and let us through. Speaking with other people while we waited, a lot of them were parents who had split up with their spouses. One took the older kids to wait for Ministry, the other was around us with the younger kids, heading to the Toothless Meet and Greet.
In fact, the majority of our Epic compatriots were going to have their photo taken with the coolest dragon around.
Which worked well for us.
We were headed straight to Hiccup’s Wing Gliders!
The line moved quick and my group didn’t stop until we reached the locker area:
I love the lockers at Epic! They’re like the ones at Tron, with doors on each side, and they use facial recognition instead of tickets. But the best thing about them is that they are larger than the ones at Universal! I could easily fit a Loungefly bag plus a water and umbrella and the kids’ detritus inside one.
Thank you, Universal, for improving on the system!
Bags stowed away, the six of us were in the loading area of the ride.
Look at how cute this ride example is:
Once it was our turn to get into the vehicle, my BIL had a bit of trouble. As you could see from the earlier photo, he cannot do a lot of the coasters at the Universal parks. But before we’d gotten far into the queue, he had tried out the test seat and it worked.
(Speaking of, the test chair was located on the opposite side of the standby queue after you already enter the line. It was chaotic for him to try to jump back in line and for us to squeeze to the side and wait. Not the most logical place to put it, in my opinion.)
The Team Members tried to get it to work, but after a few attempts, told him and my SIL to go wait by the exit area and they would put them in a different section of the vehicle. Apparently, the middle and back are more accommodating than the rest. Then, they turned to the rest of us and told us to meet back up with them after we got off and we could ride again.
Uhm, what?! Okay!
Wing Gliders was such a fun coaster. It was a lower thrill than Hagrid’s but very similar in terms of launches and animatronics to further the story.
Alex said the best part about it was the fact that it goes around most of the Isle of Berk, so you get a great view of the entirety of the area. Later, I added that it’s a different experience at nighttime.
That earns a lot of points in my book for how well a ride is, that it can have two different feels depending on when you ride.
Hands down, Hiccups is my favorite attraction at Epic Universe.
Made all the more special by the fact that we got to do it two times in a row! When Eddie was seated in a different row, the bar clicked with zero issue at all, so I guess it really does depend on your placed on whether or not the seat is accommodating.
After our second turn, we had to get a Team Member to open Alex’s locker, because he had gone back and put his hat in right before reentering the line, and that canceled the reservation. He’s lucky the locker didn’t open for someone else!
It was while we were waiting for him that Eddie proclaimed, “Aren’t you glad you brought your uncle to Epic!”
Oddly enough, this was not the first time we got super lucky with this group. The very first time Alex and I went to Universal together, Eddie and Leslie came with us, and the kids were 3 years old and 6 months old. And because it was a slow period for the parks, whenever we went on a ride that needed a Parent Swap, the Team Members just let us use the express lane. When we did that on the Mummy, the Team Members were so relaxed, they told us we could swap out as many times as we wanted! (We ended up riding it 3 times!)
So something about all of us at Universal equates to some extra luck.
The kids wanted to step inside and get some air conditioning after back to back rides outside, so we meandered over to the gift shops and let Evie take the first of many perusals around the store.
Then we walked over to the theater to wait for the 11 o’clock showing of the Untrainable Dragon, but the Team Members out front said there was a small delay.
I used the time to let Evie change into her Viking costume and take some photos around the land. The outfit was from two Halloweens ago and a little small, but no way was Evie not taking the opportunity to live her best Viking life inside Berk.
The detailing throughout the whole land was incredible.
Hands down, the portal that got the most TLC and their flagship part of the park:
When Evie and I made it back to the group, we heard someone radio the Team Members and say that they would be able to open soon, so we stuck around and waited.
Up Next: Are You A Viking in Training?
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